Snaps are fastening mechanisms that may be used to secure one member to another. For example, snaps are commonly used to secure plastic components together in consumer goods such as electronic devices or toys. Snaps are often integrated into the components to be secured to each other, thus reducing or eliminating the need for separate connection members such as screws. Snaps typically include a flexible portion that may deflect during assembly. They may further include a protrusion that may interconnect or interact with a mating portion to secure the components together.
A snap may be intended for one-time operation or it may be intended for multiple assembly and disassembly cycles. The difference is often in the design of the protrusion. In a multiple cycle design, a portion of the protrusion may be angled so that a separation force acting on the parts causes the snap to disengage. Often, the snaps may begin to fail, or change in their ability to secure the components to each other, after a small number of assembly and disassembly cycles.
A one-time snap may have a protrusion that includes an engagement surface that is oriented perpendicular to a separation force acting on the parts. The engagement surface may interlock with a mating component. In this regard, such a force may not cause the part to disengage and the parts may be secured together until the separation force causes a component to fail.
Known snaps are often configured to require a tool to disengage the snap and allow the components to be separated. Frequently, the proper way to disengage the snap and separate the components is not obvious to a user. It may be difficult for a user to determine if two interconnected components are secured together by a one-time snap or a snap designed for multiple cycles. It may be difficult for a user to determine that a tool may be needed to disassemble the components. This may lead to the user using excessive force to disassemble the components, which could lead to damage to the components, in particular to the snap or snaps holding the components together. The process may also require the use of two hands. For example, a first hand may be required to apply a separation force to the components, while a second may be required to disengage the snap or snap mechanisms, possibly by using a tool.
Cooling ducts are commonly used in electronic assemblies where airflow control is desired. For example, many personal computers have ductwork associated with creating a particular airflow path around specific components such as Central Processing Units (CPUs) and memory units. Often, these ducts are secured in place using screws or clips. The ducts may be secured to a heat sink or fan that, in turn, may be interconnected to a CPU or other heat-generating device. Some are secured using snap together designs. However, these snap together designs typically do not provide for easy assembly and disassembly. For example, the duct and the device to which it is attached may both be required to be removed before the duct may be separated. Tools may be required to remove known ducts. Known ducts may be secured using one-time snaps that may be damaged upon removal, requiring replacement parts or additional repair work. Known ducts may require extensive examination to determine how to remove the duct without causing damage. This may be particularly true for a purchaser of the electronic assembly who may be unfamiliar with the duct fastening method.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.